Homestead Hospice has reached a $1.93 million settlement agreement for the company’s alleged involvement in False Claims Act violations. U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. recently released the settlement agreement in a lawsuit brought under qui tam provisions more than a decade ago. These “whistleblower” cases involve alleged violations of the anti-kickback statute and the […]
Hospices’ compliance and legal risks could be rising alongside their increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, according to law experts. More providers are leaning into AI-enabled tools to improve quality, compliance and clinical documentation, according to Bryan Nowicki, partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell. Hospice organizations that are not currently considering or using […]
Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) and Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB) have secured $43.1 million in attorneys’ fees and mitigation damages stemming from a dispute with home health and hospice provider VitalCaring. In the case, a federal judge in Delaware ruled that 43% of VitalCaring’s profits, along with any proceeds from a future sale, must be placed […]
The California-based hospice provider Blize Healthcare has filed for bankruptcy. The company filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California, according to court documents. The case is a voluntary, non-individual Chapter 11 petition for a health care company. Blize Healthcare offers home health care, hospice care and private duty home care […]
A federal judge has given final approval to the settlement between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Amedisys and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) that allowed the transaction between the two companies to close. The U.S. District Court in Maryland entered the final judgment proposed by the DOJ’s Antitrust Division and the attorneys general of several […]
Two Iowa hospice providers are embroiled in a lawsuit over allegations that one was “poaching patients.” National Hospice Management (NHP) operates hospices under a number of brands across several states, including Beacon of Hope Hospice. The company is suing Moments Hospice of Davenport in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The […]
Hospices are subject to a rising number of investigations and audits from Medicare contractors, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and, in some cases, the U.S. Justice Department, among others. Hospices need to understand the various types of investigations they may encounter and how to respond to them. […]
The insurance and health care company UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) may be under federal criminal investigation for alleged Medicare fraud. The U.S. Justice Department has not released the specific allegations against the company. However, they are reportedly related to UnitedHealth Group’s business practices within its Medicare Advantage plans, according to the Wall Street Journal, which […]
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has rejected the sale of Amedisys’ (Nasdaq: AMED) home health and hospice assets to BrightSpring Health Services Inc. (Nasdaq: BTSG) and The Pennant Group (Nasdaq: PNTG) as a remedy to an ongoing lawsuit. Amedisys earlier this month announced the divestiture of a number of its home health and hospice […]
A federal judge has denied VitalCaring’s request to reconsider a ruling requiring that a portion of the company’s future profits be placed in trust for the benefit of Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) and Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB). The case dates back to 2022, when Encompass Health spun off its home health and hospice business, creating […]
